Plans to convert Park Lane's Vista Lounge scrapped

The Southern California-based corporation that owns The Park Lane, a retirement facility in Monterey, said Friday it has scrapped plans to convert the building's most popular amenity, the Vista Lounge, into luxury apartments.

Adam Bandel, managing director of Pacifica Senior Living in San Diego, said a decision to replace the lounge with "concierge" units was shelved by the corporation in response to overwhelmingly negative reaction from residents of The Park Lane, 200 Glenwood Circle.

The Vista Lounge is a community room on the top floor of the seven-story building, featuring panoramic views of Monterey Bay and the city. Residents use the room for meetings, exercise, parties, memorial services, concerts, wedding receptions, special dinners, reading and relaxation, and other purposes. Outside clubs and groups rent the venue, on occasion, for their own events.

"We received a lot of push-back from residents who made it clear to us that they aren't in favor of the changes we had planned, and we've decided to shelve the project," Bandel said. "We've met internally on several occasions to discuss the matter, and, for the time being at least, we've decided we're not going to do anything. That will be expressed to the residents of The Park Lane."

The Park Lane is owned by Pacifica Senior Living and managed locally by Senior Resource Group.

Residents of the facility — all of whom are renters, not owners — say they began to hear rumors several months ago that Pacifica had plans to build a ground-floor clubhouse to replace the Vista Lounge, and convert the seventh floor into high-priced residential units.

A meeting late last year between residents and Frank White, executive director of The Park Lane, confirmed that Pacifica had obtained planning permits for the project in 2010 and was planning to begin construction on April 1 of this year.

Residents who met with The Herald said The Park Lane community was almost completely united against the plan. About two-thirds of the facility's residents, 160 of them, signed a petition of protest.

"The Vista Lounge, for me, was the frosting on the cake when I moved in here," said resident Barbara Dunn. "It seemed like the most beautiful spot in the world, with incredible views of the trees on one side and the water on the other.

"I looked at a lot of places before I moved here, but this one was my favorite because of that room. For that reason, I don't think we ought to be forced to give it up."

Pacifica's plans were especially unfair, residents said, to those who had moved into the building after Nov. 23, 2010 — the date the planning permits were obtained from the city — believing the lounge would be a permanent amenity. The Vista Lounge is listed among The Park Lane's attractions in literature the facility provides to prospective renters.

On Feb. 6, Bandel and Pacifica Vice President Steve Kregel traveled to Monterey to meet with residents, who angrily denounced the conversion plan, along with the plan to build the clubhouse atop a lawn outside the building, another favorite gathering spot.

Those at the meeting also complained they had learned of the three-year-old plans only through rumor.

"We felt like the corporation had been a little bit underhanded because they only notified the residents a few months ago, even though the project got planning approval in 2010," said Sally Anne Smith, a Monterey architect who became an advocate for the residents, including her father, who lives at the facility.

Bandel said Pacifica has invested more than $3 million over the past five years to remodel and beautify The Park Lane, which he characterized as "one of the premier luxury residences in the country."

"Our single goal in this exploration was to add amenities for our residents to enjoy, including a multimillion-dollar community clubhouse, to enrich their overall experience living there," he said.

The clubhouse, he said, was intended to be the centerpiece of The Park Lane campus, providing outdoor dining and entertainment, along with "a spectacular meeting place" and walking paths.

Pacifica initially responded to the protests by postponing its April 1 construction date.

Bandel said Friday the project has been scrapped indefinitely, but said he was unable to declare that the idea was permanently off the table.

"We have elected not to go forward with any of the seventh-floor alterations or the building of a community clubhouse," he said. "We will continue to listen to all comments and feedback, and provide a world-class community for our residents to enjoy and thrive in."